Key.



P. G. EGKBRT.

KEY.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 28,1911.

1,020,892. Patented Mar. 19,1912.

Attorneys c LLLLLLLLLLL Non c.

jwdazzm nw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED G. ECKERT, OF WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN.

KEY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED C. ECKERT, a citizenof the United States, residing at Waukesha, in the county of Waukeshaand State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Key, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a key,adapted to be employed upon the locks of doors and similar structures,the key being so constructed that the movable portion thereof may bemanipulated to engage with the lock, thereby preventing a felonious orunauthorized manipulation of the key, from the ward-bearing endtherefrom.

The invention aims to provide a key having a tiltable guard of novel andimproved form, and to provide novel means for looking the said guard inposition to engage with the lock.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 shows the invention inperspective, the guard being alined with the shank of the key; Fig. 2 isa side elevation showing the guard angularly disposed with respect tothe shank of the key, the guard being locked in the position which itwill assume when in engagement with the lock; Fig. 3 is a sectional sideelevation showing the guard in place within the shank of the key; andFig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of that end of the key whichcarries the locking member whereby the guard is held in angular relationwith respect to the shank of the key. Fig. 5 is a transverse section onthe line AB of Fig. 8.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a key shank 1, havingthe usual ward 2. The shank 1 of the key is surrounded by a rib 3,having functions which will be set forth hereinafter. That end of theshank 1 which is remote from the ward 2 is longitudinally. slotted, toform arms 4. In one side of the shank 1 of the key, there is a diagonalslot 5, opening between the arms Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 28, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 641,047.

4. Through the arms 4, a pivot pin 6 isinserted. The pivot pin 6constitutes a fulcrum for the guard 7, which is located be tween thearms 4. One end of the guard 7 is tapered, as shown at 8, so as to fitin the slot 5. The guard 7 moves freely between the arms 4, and itstapered end 5 moves freely in the slot 5. In order to retain the guard 7alined with the shank 1, the tapered end 8 of the guard is equippedwithlaterally outstanding shoulders 9, adapted to engage with both wallsof the slot 5, so as to hold the guard 7 alined with the shank 1; theguard 7 being readily tilted, however, into angular relation withrespect to the shank 1, as shown in Fig. 2. That the end of the guard 7which is remote from the ward 2 is equipped with a tiltable member 10,preferably taking the form of a ring, the ends of which are pivotallymounted in the guard 7, as shown at 11. The ring 10 is adapted to beswung across the end of the guard 7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and inorder to maintain the ring 10 thus positioned, and alined with the bodyportion of the key, the end of the guard 7 is equipped with anoutstanding projection 12, adapted to serve as a stop for the ring 10,as Figs. 1 and 4 will make manifest.

The ring 10 is flattened on one side as denoted by the numeral 14. Whenthe intermediate portion of the ring 10 is extended across the end ofthe guard 7, as shown in Fig. 1, and in abutment with the shoulder 12,the flat side 14 of the ring 10 will be engaged with the straight endedges 15 of the arms 4. The ring 10 will thus be held alined with theshank 1 until the guard 7 is tilted, withdrawing the edges 14 and 15from engagement. The edges 14 are sufliciently short so that the edge 14of this ring 10 will move over the corners 16 of the arms 4.

In practical operation, the ward 2 is inserted into the lock, and thebolt of the lock is thrown in the usual manner, the parts of the keybeing positioned as shown in Fig. 1. After the bolt has been thrown, theguard 7 is disposed in the angular position shown in Fig. 2, the taperedend 8 of the guard 7 engaging with the lock. The ring 10 is then swungout of engagement with the projection 12, and into engagement with oneside of the bifurcated end of the shank 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,the guard 7 being maintained in outwardly projecting, lock-engagingrelation with respect to the shank 1. The rib 3 prevents the .insertionof an instrument alongside of the shank 1, for the purpose ofmanipulating the ring 10 and moving the guard 7 out of the positionshown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A keycomprising a shank; a guard pivoted intermediate its ends in the shank;and a tiltable member in the guard, adapted to engage with the shank, tomaintain the guard in .angular relation with respect to the shank.

2. A device of the class described comprising a shank; a guard pivotedintermediate its ends in the shank; and a ring pivoted in the guard andadapted to engage the shank, to maintain the guard in angular relationwith respect to the shank, the ring being adapted to be swung over oneend of the guard, there being a projection upon said end of the guard,adapted to receive the ring, to maintain the same alined with the guard.

3. A device of the class described comprising a shank bifurcated to formspaced arms and provided with a slot opening between the arms; a guardpivoted between the arms and adapted to move freely beneath the arms,and to register at one end in the slot; the guard having outstandingfriction ribs,

adapted to engage with the shank, to maintain the guard alined with theshank; and a tiltable member carried by the guard, and adapted to engagethe shank, to hold the guard at an angle to the shank.

4. In a device of the class described, a shank; a guard pivoted betweenits ends in the shank; a ring pivoted in the guard and adapted to beswung into engagement with.

the shank to maintain the guard at an angle to the shank; the ringhaving a flat side engageable by the end of the shank, to hold the ringalined with the shank.

5. In a device of the class described, a shank; a guard pivoted betweenits ends in the shank; a ring pivoted in the guard and adapted to beswung into engagement with the shank to maintain the guard at an angleto the shank; the ring having a flat side engageable by the end of theshank, to hold the ring alined with the shank; there being a projectionupon theend of the guard to receive the ring, when the ring is alinedwith the shank.

In testimony that I claim'the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

F RED C. ECKERT.

Witnesses T. C. MARTIN, G. HOLMES DANBUER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

